公开(公告)号：US20250048752A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-06

申请号：US18228534

申请日：2023-07-31

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Ritu Raj Singh ,  John L. Orlowski ,  Oray O. Cellek ,  Ashirwad Bahukhandi

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: An image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes a set of one or more substrate portions. Each substrate portion of the set of one or more substrate portions is electrically isolated from other substrate portions of the set of substrate portions. The image sensor further includes a set of photodiodes, a set of charge storage nodes, a set of charge transfer gates, and a control circuit. Each charge transfer gate of the set of charge transfer gates is disposed on and biased by a different substrate portion of the set of substrate portions. Each charge transfer gate of the set of charge transfer gates is operable to selectively connect a respective photodiode of the set of photodiodes to the charge storage node. The control circuit is operable to dynamically bias each substrate portion of the set of substrate portions independently of each other substrate portion of the set of substrate portions.

公开(公告)号：US20240107186A1

公开(公告)日：2024-03-28

申请号：US18372047

申请日：2023-09-22

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Hossein Sadeghi ,  Andrew T. Herrington ,  Gilad Michael ,  John L. Orlowski ,  Yazan Z. Alnahhas

IPC: H04N25/11 ,  H04N25/531 ,  H04N25/58 ,  H04N25/75

CPC classification number: H04N25/11 ,  H04N25/531 ,  H04N25/58 ,  H04N25/75

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed for a single RGBIR camera module that is capable of imaging at both the visible and IR wavelengths. In some embodiments, a camera module comprises: an image sensor comprising: a microlens array; a color filter array (CFA) comprising a red filter, a blue filter, a green filter and at least one infrared (IR) filter; and a pixel array comprising pixels to convert light received through the color filter array into electrical signals; and an image signal processor (ISP) configured to: initiate capture of a first frame by reading signal pixels from the pixel array; initiate capture of a second frame by reading IR pixels from the pixel array; align the first and second frames; and extract the second frame from the first frame to generate a third enhanced frame.

公开(公告)号：US11877071B1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-16

申请号：US17951060

申请日：2022-09-22

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： John L. Orlowski ,  Ritu Raj Singh ,  Oray O. Cellek

IPC: H04N23/745 ,  H04N25/62 ,  H04N25/77 ,  H04N25/78 ,  G03B13/20

CPC classification number: H04N23/745 ,  H04N25/62 ,  H04N25/77 ,  H04N25/78

Abstract: Disclosed herein are cameras and image sensors, and electronic devices containing them, having pixel arrays operable both for obtaining images and detecting flicker in ambient light. For flicker detection, such as prior to image capture, light-generated current from a set of pixels of the pixel array is received at a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) that is formed in a common semiconductor substrate with the pixel array. An output signal of the TIA is digitized and signal processed to detect the flicker in the ambient light. Also disclosed are image sensors having pixel arrays with an embedded modulated light source. The modulated light source may be used for proximity detection, either by time-of-flight or intensity variation of reflected light.